ReviewMicrobial biotechnology2023
Microbial enzymes will offer limited solutions to the global plastic pollution crisis.
Review in Microbial biotechnology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed.
- Potential plastic biodegradation in lakes worldwide.Innovation (Cambridge (Mass.)) · 2026Article
- Microbial and Enzymatic Degradation of Nylon: Mechanisms, Diversity, and Biotechnological Application.Journal of microbiology and biotechnology · 2026Review
- Role of dienelactone hydrolases in PET biodegradation by flavobacteriaApplied and environmental microbiology · 2026Article
- Yeast MoClo Secretion and Surface Display Toolkit 2.0: Improvements and Applications for Analysis of protein-protein Interactions and Whole-Cell Biocatalysis.ACS synthetic biology · 2026Article
- Biological Degradation of Phthalates: From Bioremediation to Plastic Waste Valorization.ChemSusChem · 2026Review
- From Brewing to Plastic Degradation: Uncovering the Polyurethanase Potential ofJournal of the American Chemical Society · 2026Article
- Enzyme-Loaded Microcapsules as Intracellular Organelles for the Degradation of Nanoplastics by Cells.ACS nano · 2026Article
- Microplastic Pollution: Advancements in Mitigation, Policy Challenges, and Future Directions.Current microbiology · 2026Review
- Microbial plastic degradation: enzymes, pathways, challenges, and perspectives.Microbiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR · 2025Review
- It Is Dangerous to Go Alone: Strategies to Optimize PET Biocatalysis and Upcycling through Enzymatic Synergism.ACS omega · 2025Review
- On the Hydrolytic Depolymerization of Polyurethane Foam Wastes by Ionic Liquids.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) primary degradation products affect c-di-GMP-, cAMP-signaling, and quorum sensing (QS) inMicrobiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Co-consumption for plastics upcycling: A perspective.Metabolic engineering communications · 2025Article
- Functional Enrichment and Sequence-Based Discovery Identify Promiscuous and Efficient Poly Lactic Acid Degrading Enzymes.Environmental science & technology · 2025Article
- Article
- A combined chemo-enzymatic treatment for the oxidation of epoxy-based carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs).Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Article
- Biodegradation of phthalic acid and terephthalic acid by Comamonas testosteroni strains.Folia microbiologica · 2024Article
- Exploring biodegradable alternatives: microorganism-mediated plastic degradation and environmental policies for sustainable plastic management.Archives of microbiology · 2024Review
- Biodegradation: the best solution to the world problem of discarded polymers.Bioresources and bioprocessing · 2024Review
- Biochemical Characterisation of Sis: A Distinct Thermophilic PETase with Enhanced NanoPET Substrate Hydrolysis and Thermal Stability.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Global economies depend on the use of fossil-fuel-based polymers with 360-400 million metric tons of synthetic polymers being produced per year. Unfortunately, an estimated 60% of the global production is disposed into the environment. Within this framework, microbiologists have tried to identify plastic-active enzymes over the past decade. Until now, this research has largely failed to deliver functional biocatalysts acting on the commodity polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinylchloride (PVC), ether-based polyurethane (PUR), polyamide (PA), polystyrene (PS) and synthetic rubber (SR). However, few enzymes are known to act on low-density and low-crystalline (amorphous) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and ester-based PUR. These above-mentioned polymers represent >95% of all synthetic plastics produced. Therefore, the main challenge microbiologists are currently facing is in finding polymer-active enzymes targeting the majority of fossil-fuel-based plastics. However, identifying plastic-active enzymes either to implement them in biotechnological processes or to understand their potential role in nature is an emerging research field. The application of these enzymes is still in its infancy. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on microbial plastic-active enzymes, their global distribution and potential impact on plastic degradation in industrial processes and nature. We further outline major challenges in finding novel plastic-active enzymes, optimizing known ones by synthetic approaches and problems arising through falsely annotated and unfiltered use of database entries. Finally, we highlight potential biotechnological applications and possible re- and upcycling concepts using microorganisms.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.